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Porchia Summers was born into a family who gave her everything except affection. She acted out until her parents sent her to Whispering Springs before their high-society friends found out about her arrest record.

She builds a good life in Texas, but then the old boyfriend who got her in trouble tracks her down. Desperate to find a way to keep her past and present separate, she places a bid at a bachelor auction on the one man who’ll get her out of town for a few days.

Darren Montgomery is thrilled when Porchia wins him and a week of camping with his entire family in a charity bachelor auction. He’s also curious. He’s been flirting with the town’s sweet, sexy baker for years. Sometimes she flirts back, but she’s never let things go further than that. Darren’s not complaining, but he wonders just what’s going on behind Porchia’s pretty eyes.

Warning: Watch out for chigger bites, love bites, and secrets that bite.

Texas Hustle is the sixth book in a contemporary romance series about the Montgomery family, starring Darren and Porchia. It struck a good balance of romance and sexiness. The writing was easy to read, while the plot flowed smoothly with some unexpected twists and turns. There were a couple of unbelievable moments, but nothing that spoiled the enjoyment of a solid romance with two likeable characters. D’Alba gets points for writing a caring and supportive man (in denim and boots), as well as a diligent, real businesswoman – wonderfully modern! I loved this book for an easy read and am eagerly looking to the rest of the series about the Montgomeries.

WARNING: This post is going to be filled with Scott Eastwood because it was unbelievably hard to find cowboy gifs. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECTIFIED.

Darren has wanted Porchia for a while, and Porchia doesn’t want to admit she wants him, too. The only problem is, she thinks she’s too old for him, and she’s happy working at her bakery. However, when bad news from her past makes her want to run and hide for a bit, she finds herself in a cabin with the charming Darren Montgomery. She has to decide if she can give in to her feelings while also trying to keep the drama from her past from leaking into her present.

What I loved about Texas Hustle was that it broke the mould a bit with romance novels. Like other genres, romance novels tend to have a basic format. Guy and girl meet, initial resistance, irresistible attraction builds, guy and girl give in to chemistry, big blow up, guy wins girl over. There’s nothing wrong with this, as sometimes that’s just what you need. However, Texas Hustle wasn’t quite like that. For a start, there was an external aggressor, the ex-convict from Porchia’s past. While there was some tension between the starring couple throughout, it didn’t seem over-the-top and was not to the point that people were crying and screaming and acting dramatic.

In terms of heat level, there were a few scenes in this book that were fairly explicit, but most of the romance was sweet and relatively tame, with more hints at other activities. I think there was an excellent balance, not overwhelming. D’Alba was stressing the growing love and respect, not just physical attraction, though there was plenty of that!

Darren was perfect. For a start, he was a hunky, rugged cowboy. He was hardworking, loved his family and charitable. He took charge of some situations, but he also let Porchia make her own decisions, supporting her rather than taking care of things for her.

I liked Porchia as well, with her work ethic and sense of humour (the horse ride haha). She was also a real woman, complete with cellulite! I think some people might think that her issues with her family are a bit out of proportion, given my own family drama, I can actually believe her situation. (Personally, I can’t wait to go home and show my mom my multi-coloured hair in person because I know she’s freak out.)

Still from The Longest Ride, found on Moviepilot

Like a lot of romance novels, Texas Hustle is part of a series about the Montgomery family. I haven’t read the other books, but I don’t think that detracted from the story. I imagine I would have known the other family members and their romantic back stories more if I had read them, but there was still enough in this book to get a feel for the other characters. There were quite a few of them, so I did get confused with who was whose mother, etc.

Throughout the book, the writing was clear and flowed smoothly, so I could simply enjoy the story. The world D’Alba created around the characters was easy to picture and made me desperate to go to Texas. (My aunt moved out there recently…I should visit…) I mean, come on, cowboys, denim and minimal makeup? Sounds like HEAVEN. I also happen to look awesome in a hat, thank you very much. Now just pass me the Southern gentleman with a side of sexy.

Two things did baffle me. First, how much physical intimacy Porchia was showing when she kept insisting she and Darren were just friends. There was kissing and handholding even interspersed between assurances that they were just very good pals. The other event that raised my eyebrows is a bit further in, so I can’t say much without giving away spoilers. Basically, Porchia does something morally questionable (if explainable in the situation), yet she seems completely unaffected by it. View Spoiler »I mean, sure, the guy was crazy and trying to shoot people, but if I were her, I would have still been upset for killing someone! « Hide Spoiler

Porchia’s biggest obstacles were trust and acceptance – trusting and accepting herself, trusting her family, trusting her community to accept her. To be happy, she had to realise who she was and let other people in. The ending was satisfying and pretty cool, if a little rushed (but then they always are in romance novels). I do think there could have been a little action at the end, as most of that was in the middle of the book. However, the lessons of self-acceptance and opening one’s heart did round the story off nicely!

Like I said, I haven’t read the other books in the series, but I’m definitely interested in checking them out now and seeing what comes next!

Giveaway!

To celebrate the release of Texas Hustle, Cynthia is counting down the days with 14 Days of Hustle. Head on over to Cynthia’s blog and enter to win. There’s a new giveaway every day leading up to the release, so you need to check it out every day!

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